McCartney set for Liverpool show

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Sir Paul McCartney is to play a concert to 36,000 fans in Liverpool later as one of the highlights of the city's year as European Capital of Culture.

The concert at Anfield football stadium comes exactly five years after the Beatles legend's last home city show.

"We're going to have a good night out, that's all I ever aim to do," he said.

Support will come from Leeds band The Kaiser Chiefs and local favourites The Zutons. Foo Fighters star Dave Grohl is also expected to put in an appearance.

Sir Paul said he would play all his hits, and promised "a couple of surprises".

But he played down speculation that fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr would join him on stage, telling the Liverpool Echo "that was never going to be on the cards".

The concert will raise money for the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (Lipa), which Sir Paul set up in his old school, and the Nordoff-Robbins music charity.

The Capital of Culture was "a great thing" for his home city, Sir Paul said.

"About 12 years ago when we were looking to start Lipa, Liverpool was a bit on its knees - it was not in good shape at all," he said.

"But now there's quite a resurgence."

Sir Paul's classical work Ecce Cor Meum was performed at Liverpool Cathedral as part of the culture celebrations at the start of May.

"I applied to be a choirboy there when I was 11 and got turned down," he said.

"They said I wasn't any good. So this was my revenge!"

Everton fan

In January, Ringo Starr performed at the opening ceremony on St George's Plateau and Echo Arena Liverpool.

Sunday's concert will be broadcast on live on BBC Radio Merseyside with highlights on BBC Two from 2300 BST.

It is billed as the first and last global concert to be held at Anfield, home of Liverpool Football Club, although the stadium did host the Hillsborough Justice Concert in 1997.

Sir Paul said his footballing allegiances lay elsewhere.

"I'm officially Everton. My dad was born in Everton so my family team is really Everton... I like both teams but if it comes to the crunch I'm Everton."



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